


Renegades One-Shots

by DaisySimmons



Category: Renegades - Marissa Meyer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:14:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29199693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaisySimmons/pseuds/DaisySimmons
Summary: Pretty self-explanatory. It is one-shots for Renegades, some will be sad, some happy, I’ll put it as a note at the top. (I’m really bad at summaries, sorry.) I recommend reading the book series first, some will happen at the beginning of Renegades some will happen after Supernova.DISCLAIMER: I sadly do NOT own these fabulous characters, they belong to the amazing author Marissa Meyer
Relationships: Nova Artino | Nightmare/Adrian Everhart | Sketch, Oscar Silva | Smokescreen/Ruby Tucker | Red Assassin
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11





	1. What-if Captain Chromium Found Nova

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to write this since I've seen some others. Please leave votes or comments, they make my day! The first part is mostly from the book but is very slightly modified in some places. This is if Hugh saved Nova instead of Ace.

A door slammed. Nova awoke from her sleep. She could hear Papà, sounding tense and Mom murmuring, please, please.

She crept past the table where a delicate copper-colored bracelet sat abandoned, an empty space in the filigree waiting to be filled with a precious stone. Once she got to the door she turned the knob as slowly as she could, opening the door just enough that she could peer out into the hall. A man stood on the landing and he wore a heavy jacket, though it wasn't cold outside.

He was holding a gun.

His indifferent gaze darted to Nova then slid back to her father as if he hadn't even seen her.

"It's a misunderstanding," said Papà. He had put himself between the man and Nova's mom. "Let me talk to him. I'm sure I can explain—"

"There's been no misunderstanding," the man said. His voice was low and cold. "You have betrayed his trust, Mr. Artino. He does not like that."

"Please," said her mom. "The children are here. Please, have mercy."

He cocked his head, his eyes shifting between them.

Fear tightened in Nova's stomach.

"Let me talk to him," Papà repeated. "We haven't done anything. I'm loyal, I swear. I always have been. And my family ... please, don't hurt my family."

There was a moment in which it looked like the man might smile, but then it passed. "My orders were quite clear. It is not my job to ask questions ... or to have mercy."

Her father took a step back. "Tala, get the girls. Go."

"David...," her mother whimpered, moving toward the door.

She had barely gone a step when the stranger lifted his arm.

A gunshot.

Nova gasped. Blood arced across the door, a few drops scattering across her brow. She stared, unable to move. Papà screamed and grabbed his wife. He turned her over in his arms. He was trembling while her mom wheezed and choked.

"No survivors," the man said in his even, quiet voice. "Those were my orders, Mr. Artino. You only have yourself to blame for this."

Nova's father caught sight of her on the other side of the door. His eyes widened, full of panic. "Nova. Ru—"

Another gunshot.

This time Nova screamed. Her father collapsed over her mom's body, so close she could have reached out and touched them both.

She turned and stumbled into the apartment into her bedroom. She slammed the door shut, thrust open her closet and got in. She yanked the door shut and crouched down in the corner, gasping for breath, the vision of her parents burned into her thoughts every time she shut her eyes. Too late she thought that she should have gone for the fire escape. Too late.

Too late she remembered—

Evie.

She'd left Evie out there.

She'd left Evie.

A shuddering gasp was met with a horrified cry, though she tried to swallow both of them back. Her hand fell on the closet door and she tried to gauge how fast she could get out to the living room and back, if there was any chance of snatching the baby up without being seen ...

The front door creaked, paralyzing her.

She pulled her hand back against her mouth. Maybe he wouldn't notice Evie. Maybe she would go on sleeping. She listened to slow, heavy footsteps.

Nova was shaking so hard she worried the noise of her clattering bones would give her away. She also knew it wouldn't matter. It was a small apartment, and there was nowhere for her to run.

"The Renegades will come," she whispered, her voice little more than a breath in the darkness. The words came unbidden into her head, but they were there all the same. Something solid. Something to cling to.

Bang.

Her mother's blood on the door.

She whimpered. "The Renegades will come..."

A truth, inspired by countless news stories heard on the radio. A certainty, patched together from the words of gossiping neighbors.

They always came.

Bang.

Her father's body crumpled in the hall.

Nova squeezed her eyes shut as hot tears spilled down her cheeks. "The Renegades ... the Renegades will come."

Evie's shrill cry started up in the main room.

Nova's eyes snapped open. A sob scratched at the inside of her throat, and she could no longer say the words out loud.

Please, please let them come ...

A third gunshot.

The air caught in Nova's lungs.

Her world stilled. Her mind went blank.

She sank into the mess at the bottom of the closet.

Evie had stopped crying.

Evie had stopped.

Distantly, she heard the man moving through the apartment, checking the cabinets and behind the doors. Slow. Methodical.

By the time he found her, Nova had stopped shaking. She couldn't feel anything anymore. Couldn't think. The words still echoed in her head, having lost all meaning.

The Renegades ... the Renegades will come ...

Doused in the stark lights from her bedroom, Nova lifted her eyes. The man stood over her. There was blood on his shirt. Later, she would remember how there had been no regret, no apology, no remorse. Nothing at all as he lifted the gun. The metal pressed against her forehead, where her mother's blood had cooled. Nova reached up and grabbed his wrist, unleashing her power with more force than she ever had.

The man's jaw slackened. His eyes dulled and rolled up into his head. He fell backward, landing with a resounding thud on her bedroom floor, crushing her dollhouse beneath his weight. The whole building seemed to shake from his fall.

Seconds later, deep, peaceful breathing filled the apartment.

Nova's lungs contracted again. Air moved through her throat, shuddering. In. And out.

She forced herself to stand and rub the tears and snot from her face.

She picked up the gun, though it felt awkward and heavy in her hand, and slipped her finger over the trigger.

She took a step closer, one hand gripping the door frame as she left the sanctuary of the closet. She wasn't sure where she should aim. His head. His chest. His stomach. She settled on his heart. Got so close to him she could feel his shirt brushing against her bare toes.

Bang. Her mother was dead.

Bang. Her father.

Bang. Evie.

The Renegades had not come.

They weren't going to come.

"Pull the trigger," she whispered into the empty room. "Pull the trigger, Nova."

But she didn't.

"Pull the trigger."

She couldn't.

Minutes, maybe hours later, a large man found her.

She was still standing over the stranger's sleeping form, ordering herself to pull the trigger. Hearing those gunshots over and over every time she dared to close her eyes.

"Hello?"

Nova startled and turned the gun on him.

The man didn't even flinch as he crouched before her. He was dressed in a red, white, and blue costume.

"I'm Captain Chromium," he said, "are you David Artino's daughter?"

He looked down and reached for the gun. Nova didn't resist as he took it from her. His attention turned to the man. He met Nova's eyes again. Pity and, perhaps, admiration.

With that look, Nova fell apart, throwing herself into his arms. She wailed, sobbing into his chest. "He shot them ... he ... he killed..."

He picked her up, cradling her against his chest. "I know," he murmured into her hair. "I know, child. But you're safe now. I'll protect you."

She barely heard him over the noise in her head. The tumult pressing against the inside of her skull. Bang-bang-bang.

In the midst of her cries, he squeezed her tight, aimed the gun at the sleeping man, and fired.

The captain carried her outside making sure she couldn't see the bodies of her parents. When they got outside he asked, "do you want to walk or for me to continue carrying you?"

Nova wanted to continue being carried but didn't want to seem childish so she muttered, "I'll walk."

After a few minutes Nova broke the silence by whispering, "I'm Nova, Nova Artino."

The Captain looked at her with sad eyes but she was staring at the ground. "I'm Hugh Everhart. Pleased to meet you Nova. I'm going to take you to my house, okay?"

She nodded not really paying attention. She kept hearing the gunshots, Evie's cries suddenly silenced, her father telling her to run but not able to finish the word.

When they got to the mayor's house, also known as Hugh and Simon's house, they went in and Hugh was immediately bombarded with questions. Nova flinched from the loud noise and moved to hide behind Hugh. Since she was holding his hand he noticed and told everyone to quiet down. He gently pulled Nova out from behind her and told the rest of the council, "this is Nova Artino, the only survivor from the attack."

A woman came over and knelt in front of her and quietly said, "I'm Georgia Rawles. I have a son named Adrien who's about your age, maybe you guys could hang out someday."

Nova shyly nodded. She wasn't used to seeing so many people, there were seven including her but they were bigger so it looked like more. Simon noticed she was slightly scared and announced that he would take her to a guest room, the first guest to stay in it since they took the house. Nova was glad she could leave the area the others were at. When she got in the bedroom she washed her hands and face. She looked up and saw that Simon was still at the door. She stared at him determined to make him say something first.

"Do you need anything? New clothes? They probably won't fit you though." he eventually asked.

Nova mutely shook her head. She got into the bed with her back to the door. Simon took the hint and left to go talk with the others about what to do.

Nova couldn't sleep. She tried. For three hours. But every time she closed her eyes, _bang_ , she saw her parents die, heard her sister die. She started crying. She decided it was probably safe enough to see if there was anything to eat since she hasn't eaten in a while, they were going to have dinner before the... incident. She was looking around the kitchen area but there seemed to be no food. Soon she gave up and decided to go back to the room but on her way back she slammed into something. No, _someone_.

"Nova, are you okay?" she looked up and saw the voice belonged to Hugh. She nodded and was about to go around him to the room when he asked, "what are you doing? Do you need anything?"

Nova didn't want to annoy him so she shook her head, ran around him to the room and slammed the door shut. She knew she shouldn't have done that but she couldn't help it. He was acting like her father when her real father died just a few hours before. She decided she would cry herself to sleep since she couldn't stop the sounds of the gunshot ringing through her head but she couldn't sleep. She stayed awake the whole night crying or staring at the ceiling wondering how her life became so fucked up.

**ONE YEAR LATER**

Nova Everhart was officially Hugh Everhart and Simon Westwood's daughter. She was overjoyed. Her and Adrien were best friends and hung out as much as possible. She was living in the basement since she learned that murders happened in the upper floors and in the bedrooms. She loved it there. One night there was a bomb though. The house lit up like a match. Hugh got Simon out and went to get Nova but soon had to get out or die. He and Simon were _devastated_. Nova was their family, their daughter.

Little did they know someone else had saved Nova, an Anarchist. Ace Anarchy to be exact, her uncle.

Groaning Nova woke up. She was wondering how she went to sleep since she couldn't get her family's murders out of her head.

"My little Nightmare," she heard.

"Who are you?" she asked, trying to sound tougher which is something she learned from... from... she couldn't remember who taught her that. She frowned.

"You don't remember?" the voice said, "I'm your uncle Ace, who saved you after the Renegades left you and your family to die."

Nova couldn't remember but didn't want to say anything, she couldn't really remember anything since the murders except for emotions, like when she was happy, but she couldn't remember why she was happy. She didn't want to tell Ace that so she said, "yes of course I remember, Uncle. I was just a little groggy." She forced a smile on her face. Her 'uncle' though looked very happy about what she said.

"Come little Nightmare, we must do your daily training..."

**ADRIEN:**

She was gone. She was really gone.

_Flashback to when he learned:_

_His mother had raced out of they're house in the middle of the night accidently waking him up. He always had a recurring nightmare that she would never come back so he waited, and waited, and waited. He eventually dozed off but woke up when he heard a door slam. He got up and crept to the door._

_"I can't believe she's gone," he heard Simon Westwood say in a small voice. Adrien wasn't used to it. Simon was always happy and excited, playful even._

_"I should have done something more. I should have gone deeper or- or-" that was Hugh Everhart, he sounded mad and sad at the same time._

_The next voice however was soft and understanding, his mom, "there's nothing you could have done. If you went deeper in we might have lost you too."_

_Adrien soon began to wonder who they lost and where Nova was, she never could stay quiet. Plus by now she would be running around the house screaming for Adrien to come out from wherever he was 'hiding'. He walked in the room and immediately three pairs of eyes were on him but he was looking for Nova, who wasn't there._

_"Where's Nova?" Adrien asked._

_"Oh, Adrien," his mother said with a quiet voice, "Nova's dead."_

_He stood still for a second, but she couldn't be gone, as if his mother knew what he was thinking she opened her mouth but he turned and ran to his room slamming the door. End flashback._

_He didn't believe she was truly gone though and said he wouldn't rest until he found her, hopefully alive..._

_**NINE YEARS LATER** _

_**NOVA:** _

_For the past nine years Nova has been becoming a better inventor, learning to shoot a gun, to really use her powers, and mostly, to hate the Renegades. She was taught they practically killed her family. Her father had gone to the council seeking help since he didn't want to make more weapons for the Roaches, the council promised he and his family would be protected. One night though an assassin came and killed them all, the Council had lied, they had not protected them, they had not saved them. Uncle Ace though was there and took her in, she's been living with him and the rest of the Anarchists for ten years (or so she thinks). One day there was a surprise inspection and the others got so worried that she was there._

_"Honey take Nova to Ace, NOW!" Leroy yelled to Honey._

_Honey grabbed her hand and yanked her down the subway. Sadly someone saw Honey's hair and demanded she stop. She did. She stopped and turned Nova around and said to run, run as fast as she possibly could and don't let _anyone_ see her. Nova nodded and started running down the hall when she was tackled by something, no _someone_. She looked up and the person gasped, "Nova?"_

_She was wondering how he knew her but didn't dwell on it, she grabbed his hand and put him to sleep. She ran to the cathedral and waited with Uncle Ace until Winston came and said it was safe to come out. When they were walking back she noticed the boy she put to sleep was gone. Later when they were eating their dinner Nova casually asked, "so, that was a new patrol team. Is there any reason they would know me?"_

_Everyone tensed at that. "What?" Ingrid snapped, "why would anyone know you?"_

_That stung. Nova knew she's been kept a secret for ten years but that doesn't mean _everyone_ but the Anarchists forgot about her and her family, right? She looked down and kept eating, no one talked for the rest of the night. After dinner they went to their own platform to retire for the night._

_**ADRIEN:** :_

_He was... amazed. Nova was alive, after all these years she was okay. Well maybe not okay okay since she was with the Anarchists. He got back to headquarters and immediately went to the elevator to go to the Council floor. He was in a daze and didn't talk to his teammates Ruby, Oscar, and Danna the whole way back. They followed him, still pestering him with questions that he didn't answer. When they got to the floor they got out and Adrien walked in. The Council all looked up. When Georgia saw her son her eyes softened and she asked, "Adrien, what brings you here?"_

_Tamaya, Evander, and Kusami were looking slightly annoyed like he had interrupted a dire conversation. It's quite possible he did but this was more important than anything they could have possibly been talking about. "Nova'saliveIsawhershe'swiththeAnarchists," he said really quickly._

_"Wait, what?!" yelled his team. They all knew about Nova, hell the whole world knew about Nova. Simon and Hugh's faces drained of color, they were shocked. They still missed her like they had just lost her, people said time made the pain go away but it didn't, not for them at least. The rest of the Council was still, they loved the girl even though they only knew her for a year, she was like they're niece. At first she was a little demon and they all felt bad for Hugh and Simon but then she was as angelic as a kid could be. She was playful, made sure no one worked too hard, always did try to help where she could, and everyone absolutely _adored_ her. They were like one big family. They were _devastated_ when she died, but now Adrien was saying she was alive._

_"Why wouldn't she come back though?" Evander asked._

_"I don't know. She didn't seem to recognize me when I said her name," Adrien told him._

_In the end they agreed that Simon would go into the tunnels invisible and search for her next day. Adrien couldn’t wait._

_**NOVA:** _

_Nova was still mad about how they blew her off and pretty much said she was a nobody last night so she decided she would explore the tunnels, again. She was blindly walking through the when she walked into something. She looked up but there was nothing. She was instantly on alert. She thought about heading back to the others and telling them but they’d think that she was weak and needed them. Which she didn’t. She looked around again but when she saw nothing she walked in a big circle with her arms out. Nothing. She decided to continue her trek but be alert. When she got to her favorite spot, a platform with nothing but a few leaves and some sunshine peeking through the cracks, she thought about that year between age six and seven. She really couldn’t remember it at all and the harder she tried to think of it the farther the memory retreated. After a while she gave up and went to spend her day like any other; see if anyone wanted to train, if yes then train then invent, if no then invent until dinner._

_**SIMON:** _

_It was her. He couldn’t believe it. He thought Adrien might be hallucinating since he really wanted Nova to be alive but no she was, he saw her. He hurried back to headquarters to tell the others and come up with a plan._

_**-Time Skip-** _

_They had a plan. Simon would go in and discover where Nova was being held then come out and get the others. They would stay mostly together but would slowly break off to fight if needed. Hugh would grab Nova and bring her back home. They will all rendezvous at the Mayor's house when done._

_**-Time Skip-** _

_The beginning of the plan went well. Simon discovered where she was and was surprised to see her relatively healthy and well fed. And with no chains on. They went in stealthily and was close to Nova when some bees started swarming and stinging them. They tried seating those away while Hugh continued with the ‘rescue Nova at all costs no matter what was happening to everyone else’ part. He got into the trailer and saw Nova tinkering with something at a desk._

_“Nova,” he sighed, “you’re ok. Come on let’s get out of here.” He was about to step out of the trailer when a bullet hit him. It of course didn’t hurt him. He looked up and saw Nova pointing a gun at him._

_"You’re Captain Chromium,” she stated, “you’re gonna die for what you did.”_

_Hugh was confused he thought Nova would be happy to see him, and since when did she call him by his superhero name instead of ‘Hugh’ or ‘Dad’.  
“Nova,” he gently said with his hands out, “come with me. You’ll be safe. You can go back to your family.”_

_“I’ll be safe,” she said with a sneer, “like my family was safe from the gang. Like how you promised to protect them. And this is my family, Ace, Honey, Leroy, Winston, and Ingrid.” She then clapped her hand over her mouth. She forgot no one knew Ace was alive._

_Hugh was confused. And stunned. Mostly confused. She thought the Anarchists were her family. Ace was alive. She thought they just left her family to die?! “What are you talking about? We’re your family, the Renegades, me, Simon, Georgia, Adrien, Evander, Tamaya, and Kusami. And we tried to save your family, we're so sorry we didn't stop the hit man Ace sent.”_

_Hugh had been slowly inching forward and got close enough to knock her out. So that’s what he did. Just hit her on the top of her head with a little ‘sorry’. He carried her out and saw that his team had defeated the Anarchists and even captured Winston Pratt, the Puppeteer. The others were slightly surprised to see an unconscious Nova since she never slept, at least for the year they knew her. They went back to the mayor's house and waited until Nova awoke. It took two hours and Hugh was getting slightly worried that he had hit her too hard when she jumped up from the couch and got in a fighting position._

_**NOVA:**  
Nova awoke in a strange house. It had bright lights and she was on a soft couch. She sprang up and looked around the room When her eyes landed on the Council she scowled. “What do you want with me?” she demanded._

_After a moment of silence Georgia softly said, “Nova… it’s me. Georgia. Remember?”_

_“You're a Council member,” Nova said in a disgusted voice. “Now what. Do. You. Want. With. Me?”_

_“What do you mean? We’re your family, we just want you safe,” Simon told her._

_“Liar. You guys are the reason my parents died. I’m just lucky Uncle Ace took me in.”_

_The Council was dumbstruck. What did she mean ‘Uncle Ace’ took her in. They rescued her and adopted her. Right at that moment Adrien ran into the kitchen saying, “I heard the mission was a success. You rescued her…?” His voice trailed off when he saw Nova. He went over to hug her and she flipped him on his back twisting his arm behind him. “Ow, ow, oowww,” Adrien whined. It took Hugh and Simons to pry Nova off Adrien. She snarled at them wanting nothing more than her to go back to her real family. Not these people who were trying to convince her otherwise._

_After a while they decided Ace or someone had done something to her memories so she didn’t remember them. At the hospital in headquarters they did the most they could but couldn’t get the memories back. They had to lock her in a cell, no one liked it but they had to or she’d try to kill them all in their sleep- she told them she would- but someone visited her once a day telling stories of the year they adopted her and showing videos of the adoption and more. Eventually her memories started coming back and life went back to normal, mostly. Soon Nova even joined Adriens Renegade team and helped capture the Anarchists. She was so happy to have found her way home. Simon and Hugh were the best dads ever, and they didn’t try to use her like Ace did. She and Adrien eventually started dating as did Ruby and Oscar along with Narcissa and Danna (Nova introduced them). They lived happily, or as happily as you could when there’s always a possibility your next mission may be your last._


	2. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nova actually wasn't Nightmare but no one believed her, the real Nightmare didn't care enough to save her. Genissa gets her execution. This takes place when Adrien came to interrogate her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major Character Death! Takes place during Supernova! Also what are some one-shot ideas? The next one will probably be Nodrien fluff. Some parts are from the book but slightly modified.

Nova was terrified to say the least. She had no clue what was happening. They arrested her, took her bracelet, and threw her in jail saying she was, _Nightmare_. She was a loyal renegade. She knew everyone would believe them which meant she would be neutralized and probably stuck in this cell for the rest of her life because she was a dangerous criminal. The worst part was her uncle was really sick and dying, he might die and she'd never get to say goodbye. She still couldn't believe they didn't trust her after everything she did for them, maybe the Anarchists were right. _No_ , she scolded herself, _they bring death and destruction. Right?_ The next few weeks happened so slowly. In the morning, at what exact time she couldn't say, the prison cells were lowered to the ground floor and, one by one, the bars were opened and the guards on duty shouted at the prisoners to come out of their cells and get in line. They were always shouting, even though Nova had only witnessed the inmates being perfectly compliant. She wondered why no one ever lost their voice.

They were then marched out of the cell block and into what they called the sanitation room, where they were given ninety seconds to shower under cold water and sixty seconds to brush their teeth and comb their hair in front of a trough of sinks. Once a week they were given freshly laundered jumpsuits.

They then had twenty minutes to "stretch their legs" in the yard, though most of the inmates stayed in groups by the wall to avoid the mud. It was almost always raining—a cold, misty drizzle—and even when it wasn't, the wind cut through their jumpsuits like daggers. Nova didn't speak with anyone, not only because the guards were always watching and she had the distinct impression that conversation on the yard was discouraged, but also because, when she did dare to approach another prisoner, they always gave her a scornful look and turned their back on her. It hadn't taken many rejections before Nova decided she was better off keeping to herself anyway. She didn't know where the universal contempt for her originated, whether it was because they knew she actually had, or maybe still has, Renegade loyalties. She didn't care, or at least that's what she told herself. She was getting used to being alone.

After the brief recreation time, they were served their only meal of the day inside a cafeteria where the narrow tables and stools were all bolted to the floor, and the kitchen was kept behind a stone wall, with only a narrow slot through which they could slide out trays of food.

The quality of the food was exactly what Nova had expected. Which was to say, not much worse than what she'd consumed in the subway tunnels most of her life. Most days the meal consisted of a roll of hard bread, an unrecognizable vegetable cooked down to mush, a baked potato, and fish. Nova didn't know what kind of fish, but she guessed it was whatever the cooks could get for cheap. On Sundays, if the prisoner had gone the week without trouble, they were also allowed a sliver of cheese.

Then they were sent back to their cells, roughly two hours after they'd been released, to pass the rest of the day in quiet isolation until lights-out. A few prisoners who had been there long enough to earn some amount of trust were sent to work in the laundry or the kitchen. At first this had seemed like extra punishment, but it didn't take long for Nova to recognize that the long hours of solitude were far worse.

For the first time in her life, Nova's inability to sleep felt far more like a curse than a gift. What she wouldn't have given to spend eight fewer hours every night alone with her spinning thoughts.

And so the days passed by, monotonous and unbearably dull.The guards came and let her out to go brush her teeth and comb her hair. She was in the middle of brushing her teeth when a guard came and barked, "Seven-nine-two."

"Nova," she told the guard, "My. Name. Is. _Nova_."

The warden behind her was having none of this shit and told her, "you have a visitor, seven-nine-two."

Nova was surprised, who would visit her. Her uncle probably won't be able to come or do anything because everything was in their house which burned to a crisp so he had no forms to prove who he was, everyone else thought she was a villain. They chained her to a chair and when she looked up she saw... Adrien. He was here. But there was Simon Westwood and Hugh Everhart beside him. They were discussing something. After a few minutes Hugh and Simon left while Adrien stayed.

She could tell, in the first moment of their eyes connecting, that he had been able to see her from the moment she'd been brought into this room and had time to steel himself. His face was neutral and cold, in a way that didn't fit him at all.

But behind the lenses of his glasses, his eyes revealed what his unyielding features did not. Disbelief. Hurt. Betrayal. **Hatred**.

Nova felt her chin tremble. "Adrian...," she whispered.

His only reaction was a brief tightening of his jaw.

"Adrien," she whispered again, her voice breaking. She let a few tears slip out of her eyes, not even trying to hold them back.

He turned away. When he looked back he looked so mad. She flinched. She was used to him looking happy or nervous or determined but never, _ever mad_.

"How could you do this?" Adrian said, his tone vicious and sharp. The sound of such unbridled anger surprised the tears into a temporary cease-fire.

"I- I didn't Adrien. _Please_ , you _have_ to believe me. I'm innocent."

Adrien's scoff was so loud and unexpected. She could convince him of her innocence. She had to.

He opened his mouth to speak but Nova pressed on, letting real desperation color her tone. "I mean it, Adrian. I don't know what's going on, but I'm not a Nightmare!"

"Danna saw you!" he yelled. "She followed you to those ruins ... that cathedral. She led us to Ace Anarchy, and she would have led us to you, too, if you hadn't..." He hesitated, warring with a brief uncertainty. "If you hadn't done whatever you did to her to keep her from re-forming!"

Nova studied him, her mind racing, devouring and dissecting every word.

She swallowed.

"I don't know what Danna thinks she saw," she said, "but it wasn't me. I don't know if I'm being framed, or what, but—"

"Oh, please, Nova," Adrian said. "The inventions? The access to the artifacts department? Knowing about Max and Agent N? I can't believe we didn't figure it out before. Is Nova even your real name?"

"Of course it's my real name! But I'm not Nightmare! I'm not an Anarchist. Adrian, you know me!"

He grimaced. "Yeah. That's what I thought, too."

"Please, just tell me what Danna told you, and I can—"

"You can what? Lie some more? Come up with more outlandish stories about your uncle and his _beekeeping_? Or how about when you were so worried that your uncle wasn't feeling well, you had to leave the gala, conveniently right before Nightmare breaks into headquarters. Or what about how your entire house was destroyed right when we were coming to arrest you! Are you going to tell me that was a coincidence, too?"

"I was designing a new weapon," said Nova, who was designing a new weapon. "I was working with some new chemicals, trying to build an explosive that I thought the patrols could use. But it got out of control and ... well, you saw. But think about it, Adrian! If I knew you were coming to arrest me, why would I have stayed? Why wouldn't I have run when I had the chance?"

"Because you needed to destroy evidence," said Adrian. "It all makes sense. The only thing that doesn't make sense is..."

He hesitated, and Nova's pulse jumped. She waited, sure his next words would have something to do with him, _with them_ , but his eyes were burning into her again, quickly dousing any such hope.

She shook her head. "You're searching for evidence that isn't there. Maybe ... maybe there are some coincidences, but I swear, I'm not—"

"Just drop it, Nova."

"But, Adrian—"

_"Drop it."_

She pursed her lips together.

Adrian lifted his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm not here for your lies and excuses ... I'm not even here for a confession. I just..." He dropped his hands to his sides. "I need answers. Please, Nova. If you ever ... If any of it was real, then please ... just tell me ... who killed my mom?"

She blinked. Opened her mouth, but found no words.

_If any of it was real ..._

It had been real, she wanted to tell him. It had been more real to her than he could ever know. But this? His mom? The murder? She had no answers for him.

"I don't know," she whispered.

His hands balled into fists.

"Adrian, I know you don't believe me right now, but I truly have no idea who killed Lady Indomitable. If I knew, I would have told you a long time ago, but I'm not—"

"Nightmare," he said, spitting the name as if it tasted like sewage. "Tell me who killed her."

"Adrian—"

"Tell me!" he yelled, pounding one hand on the glass.

Nova gasped, pushing back against the chair.

He flattened his palm on the window, as if he wanted nothing more than to snatch Nova out of the chains and shake her. "You know about the note. Nightmare said ... I heard you say..."

Her brow furrowed, but Adrian seemed unable to continue.

"What?" she said, curiosity overtaking her concern. "What are you talking about?"

"'One cannot be brave who has no fear.'"

Adrian fell silent, letting the words fill the cold chamber.

Nova gawked at him for so long, her mouth started to run dry. _One cannot be brave who has no fear?_ She's never even heard of that phrase before, but he wouldn't believe her. But what did they have to do with Lady Indomitable.

Finally, when their silence had become unbearable, Nova licked her lips and said gently, slowly, "I'm sorry, Adrian, but I have no idea what that means."

He seemed to draw inward at this statement. Perhaps he was losing hope that he might get answers today. Perhaps this interrogation was taking more out of him than he would admit.

"Those words were found on a slip of paper left on my mother's body," he said, watching her for a reaction.

Nova had no reason to hide her surprise from him. Why had he never told her this before?

_If any of it was real ..._

Sorrow crept over her, wrapping her up like a blanket. Her feelings for him had been real. They were still real. But ... evidently, not real enough.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, almost choking on the words, "but I'm not Nightmare. I don't know who killed your mother. I'm so sorry, Adrian. I want to help you, but I—"

"Fine," Adrian snapped, halting her words.

Nova flinched. Tears were gathering again. It was more than she'd cried in years. At this rate, she would end up shedding more tears in this chair than she had since the day her family had been taken from her, but she couldn't help it. Her walls were crumbling. All her years of building protective forces around her heart were under attack. A siege from every twitch of Adrian's jaw, every furrow of his brow, every look of revulsion he shot her way. And then, suddenly, he changed. His emotions hardened into that same neutrality that had cloaked him at the start. His shoulders pulled back. His chin lifted. He nudged his glasses farther up on the bridge of his nose and peered at her with studied indifference.

Nova shuddered.

"I'd hoped you would tell me the truth, but I'm not just here to ask about my mother. I'm here as a representative of the Renegades, and we have an offer to make you."

Suspicion quickly began to dry up the pools in Nova's eyes. "An offer?"

"You are aware that all villains currently incarcerated here at Cragmoor will be neutralized as a part of our public reveal of Agent N. However, the Council has decided..." His head dipped, searching for words or maybe steeling himself for what he already knew he had to say. His voice was steady, but hoarse, as he continued, "The public neutralization will also include a public execution."

Nova's eyebrows jerked upward. "Excuse me?"

"The villains known as Ace Anarchy and his accomplice, Nightmare, are to be executed in a worldwide broadcast, as a consequence for their crimes against society."

Capital punishment? From the _Renegades_? She wasn't sure why it shocked her as much as it did, and yet it was hard to grasp the reality of it. She was still struggling to imagine having her powers stripped from her, and now they were going to kill her?

Adrian's face was almost sympathetic with the recitation complete. "Captain Chromium will execute Ace Anarchy." He hesitated. Clearing his throat, he continued, "Genissa Clark has been assigned the role of executing Nightmare."

Nova studied him, waiting for his words to make sense.

Then she laughed. She couldn't help it.

Genissa Clark? Genissa Clark was going to _execute_ her? It was so absurd, so unexpected.

But Adrian's expression turned her abrupt laughter into a stilted cough.

"The Renegades don't execute criminals," she stammered, her breaths quickening. "They've never—"

"They feel..." Adrian hesitated. "We feel this is a special circumstance. The Council wants to send a message that our citizens will never again be threatened by Ace Anarchy or his followers."

Nova's gaze traced the sheer, glossy black wall beneath the window, how it faded into the oblivion of shadows. It was fitting, she supposed, that Frostbite would volunteer for such a responsibility. No doubt she was eager to seek vengeance for her lost abilities, and she couldn't very well go after Max.

Nova wasn't afraid of dying. At least, that's what she told herself. It might even be less painful than living with the knowledge of how she'd failed Ace and the others. How she'd betrayed kind, trusting Adrian. How she would never claim vengeance for her parents, for Evie.

She sniffed, once, and lifted her attention back to Adrian. "You said there was an offer?"

Adrian's hands were fisted at his sides again, any signs of pity already gone. "I told my fathers how you saved Max ... or, helped him, at least, after he was stabbed."

Her lungs expanded. She hadn't realized that Nightmare had done that. Genissa had been happy to let everyone believe it was Nightmare who had stabbed the boy. How could Adrian have figured out the truth?

Unless ...

"Is he awake?" she stammered. "Max, is he okay?"

Adrian's expression eased, as it always did when he talked about his little brother. "He's out of the coma. He ... he told me everything that happened. How you tried to stop the bleeding. How you forced Genissa to give up her powers to help him."

She sank against the cold metal chair, overcome with relief. Then she quickly remembered that they thought she was a Nightmare. And that Nightmare was a murderer, why would she help Max? She proceeded to ask her question aloud.

Adrian didn't move for a long minute, and she wondered if that was the first speck of doubt she saw entering his eyes. Then he scoffed, though not as aggressively as before. "The point is, we're ... grateful." It seemed to pain him to say the word, and he didn't look at her when he did. "My fathers and I. And in return for helping Max, we've agreed to give you a chance to have your execution changed to a life sentence of neutralization and imprisonment."

A sarcastic response filled her mouth. She wasn't entirely sure which option she preferred at the moment.

But she thought of Genissa Clark, who was probably gleeful to act as Nightmare's executioner, and she choked the sarcasm back down.

"Under one condition," he continued. "You tell us where to find Ace Anarchy's helmet, the Vitality Charm, and the rest of the Anarchists. Tell me where they are, and we will spare your life."

She held his gaze and he held hers, as her heart shriveled behind her rib cage. All thoughts left her, leaving the inside of her head cavernous and echoing only with his words.

Sweet, compassionate Adrian Everhart.

Sketch.

A Renegade and, truly now, her enemy.

"Just tell me where they are, Nova. Please. I don't..." His face crumpled, and it was as though she were watching him at war with himself. The battle between his loathing for Nightmare, and whatever he had once felt for Nova McLain.

Hatred battling affection.

Fury battling compassion.

Back and forth and back again.

"I don't want to watch them kill you ... Nova." The whisper was so faint she barely heard it over the speaker that connected them. "Despite everything you've done ... I don't..."

Her pulse skipped with surprising, unwarranted hope.

Not hope that she might escape punishment, but rather, hope that Adrian might still care for her. Even believing that she was Nightmare. She'd been sure, all along, that any feelings Adrian had for her had vanished when they thought she was Nightmare. Was it possible there was some thorn of endearment still lodged in his heart?

He gave himself a sudden shake. "Because you helped Max," he said again, firmly. "And because, even if you were acting as a spy, you actually did do some good as a Renegade. You killed the Detonator and protected those people at Cosmopolis. You rescued that kid from the fire at the library. Even if it was all an act, it counts for something. So just ... tell us where you hid the helmet and the Vitality Charm. Tell us what you know about the rest of the Anarchists. That's all you have to do, and you won't have to die."

Even though he was bargaining for her life, and even though Nova knew what her next words would be, that slim flicker of hope was persistent. She had come to know Adrian Everhart well enough to know there was more to this offer than the practical explanations he was giving her. The truth was evident behind the dark frames of his glasses, and it made her chest swell to the point of bursting.

At least a teeny, tiny part of Adrian still cared for her.

It changed nothing. And it changed everything.

Staring into the eyes that had mesmerized her for these past months, Nova was happy, so very happy.

"Thank you, Adrian," she whispered. "Thank you for at least ... wanting me to have a chance. You don't know what that means to me. But the truth is, I don't have any idea where the charm is or the helmet or any of the Anarchists. I'm sorry, but I don't know."

His expression fell and, after a long silence, Adrian gave a solemn nod. He started to turn away.

"Adrian?"

He paused, his gaze meeting hers after a short hesitation.

Nova swallowed. "It was real," she whispered. "I hope you know that."

He watched her, unflinching, expressionless. Finally, he said, "I wish I could believe that, Nova. But we both know it's just one more lie." He then turned around and walked away.

Nova walked to her cell, accompanied by the warden, in a daze. Adrien had come but just to _interrogate_ her, on the Anarchists. She couldn't answer because she really was just Nova McLain, a girl who always wanted to become a Renegade. And now she was told they were going to execute her. What was her uncle going to feel like? She didn't know exactly what happened but she was clearly being framed, if only someone would believe her. She also couldn't believe they were going to let Genissa kill her. At least an executioner would do it quick and easy. Genissa on the other hand hated her for beating Trevor at the trials and, of course, she believed Nova took her powers using Agent N. Except for the fact it wasn't her, it was Nightmare who should be in this cell right now, _not_ her. She was going to die a painful death with everyone but her uncle believing she's a lying, murderous bitch. And she won't be able to say good-bye to her uncle, her poor, sick, lonely, stubborn uncle. The one who raised her since she was six and her family was murdered. She hoped that when they discovered she really was a good citizen that they treated him to a good life. At least this way she'll get to see her parents and Evie again. Oh how she missed them. How she blamed herself for Evie's death.

The next few days she followed the routine but always had a nagging thought about how, soon, she'll have joined her family, she'll be dead.

One day though, the guards had important information.

"Listen up, everyone," barked the warden. "I have an announcement to make and I don't intend to explain this more than once." Coming to a stop at the room's center, he frowned at the inmates, then faced one of the guards. "We're missing one."

"He's being brought in from solitary now," the guard answered.

The warden exhaled, exasperated, but he didn't have to wait long. Moments later, a door opened near the corner of the room, a door Nova had only ever seen closed.

And there was Ace.

He was flanked by two guards, being led slowly into the cafeteria.

Nova stiffened, he was a major threat, normally at least. He was almost unrecognizable. Ace had faded even more since she'd last seen him and no longer resembled himself at all. His skin sagged from his cheekbones. His eyes were deep in their sockets, the skin around them practically translucent. His feet dragged as if he could barely walk and it was clear that he was in pain with every stumbling step.

And yet—the other prisoners did recognize him. At least, many of them seemed to. She could tell not just by their awestruck silence, but by the way those nearest him gave an almost imperceptible nod as he was dragged past, showing their respect for the man who had once led so many of them into a revolution.

The guards, on the other hand, stood at attention with their hands on their weapons or their fingers outstretched, preparing to call on their powers if needed. They were on edge with Ace in the room, watching him like one would watch a tiger who may or may not have been strong enough to break its leash.

Their fear was unwarranted. Couldn't they see that? Ace was sick. He was dying.

The guards led him around the bank of tables toward a solitary table set apart from the others. Ace stumbled and started to cough. Not a polite cough spurred on by the frigid weather, but a rough, hacking cough that soon had him bent over and struggling to stand. Nova gasped. Three of the inmates closest to him had leaped from their seats. One of them even managed to take hold of Ace's arm to keep him from slumping forward and hitting his head, before the guards started shouting and shoving them back. Ace was pushed against the wall in the hubbub, and he slid down it, one hand digging into his chest as the coughs dwindled to pained wheezing.

More of the inmates were standing now, yelling back at the guards. _Do something. Help him. He needs a doctor._

One of the guards slammed the palms of his hands together and a wave of pressure pushed outward, bowling over everyone in its path. A number of prisoners fell to the ground. One hit his head on a stool. Though Nova didn't get the brunt of it, the unexpected attack still shoved her back down to her stool.

"What's wrong with you people?" shouted the man beside her, the one who had known Winston. He had not stood up with the others, but she could see the fury written plain across his face. He gestured toward Ace with his spoon. "He's not a threat to you, anyone can see that. He needs help!"

"Yeah?" snapped another guard, even as he bent down to grab Ace's cuffs. He hauled him back to his feet, making a point of not being gentle about it. "He's killed a lot of people. Who came to help them?"

The warden clapped his hands, three times, loud and slow. "Always one to make an entrance," he said with a disdainful sneer.

Ace ignored him. He was still breathing hard, half collapsed over his table. The way the nearby guards trained their weapons on him was almost comical.

"I've been informed by Renegade Headquarters," said the warden, "that at the end of this month, we will all be going on a little field trip together."

A rustle of interest passed through the inmates, coupled with suspicion.

"During this excursion, we expect total cooperation. You will be shackled together for the duration of the trip. You will all have your hands subdued. We have specially designed masks and blindfolds for those of you with abilities that function beyond the limits of your limbs. Special arrangements will be made for those with uniquely unrestrainable talents." His voice dropped warningly with a glance toward Ace. He might have been glancing at a corpse for all the reaction his words got.

Nova bit the inside of her cheek.

The public reveal of Agent N. The neutralization. Her execution. It was happening, and soon.

"We will be bringing in reinforcements to assist with added security," the warden continued. "If at any time, any one of you so much as blinks in a way we don't like"—he paused dramatically, his glower bearing down on them—"we will not hesitate to kill you where you stand."

No one spoke. No one moved.

"I'll admit," said the warden with a smug smile, "I'm sort of hoping some of you will test that promise." He nodded at the guards and started heading toward the cafeteria exit.

"But where are we going?" one of the inmates asked. "And what for?"

The warden paused, gloating. "You'll see soon enough. I'd hate to spoil the surprise."

He left, and the guards wasted no time in hauling Ace back out of the room. Nova's breaths quickened as she watched him go.

When the door had slammed shut behind them, she sank into her seat, miserable all over again. Lonely and helpless all over again.

Silence hung over the tables as the inmates exchanged baffled, curious looks. A guard barked, "Two minutes! Bring up your trays if you're done, come on now!"

She had until the end of the month, not to try and clear her name, not to try to escape death, but to live the rest of her life as well as she could. Maybe the guards will be nicer since she is going to die. But they probably won't, they are guards at the most secure prison for powered people.

The month dragged by. Same routine every day. Cell lowered, prisoners line up, 'stretch' time, eat, back to cell, then stay up day dreaming of the time when she wasn't being framed, a time she and Adrien could have grown up and lived a life together. _Eventually_ , **finally** , the execution date loomed closer until it was _the_ day. Her _final_ day on Earth. They transported the prisoners to the stadium, they were really planning the prisoners neutralization, and execution in her and Ace's case. She still couldn't believe they were dealing with her the same way they're dealing with Ace Anarchy, the leader of the Anarchists, a terrorist, a killer. And sadly Captain Chromium will give him more mercy then Genissa will give her.

When they got to the field she immediately looked for Adrien and the team. They were her friends, they still are to her, as sad as that is. Instead she spotted Genissa Clarke, with a... _cooler_? Did she really decide to bring _food_ to the neutralization and _execution?_

The Council approached their seats, the crowd began to quiet. The Council—Captain Chromium, the Dread Warden, Tsunami, Blacklight, and Thunderbird—was joined by Dr. Hogan, one of the lead researchers and developers for Agent N. And ...

Nova squinted. That was the... _Puppeteer._

The last time Nova had seen Winston Pratt, his skin had been ghastly pale, almost as pale as when permanent makeup had been painted on his face, complete with rosy cheeks and black lines on his jaw reminiscent of a ventriloquist dummy. Those physical markings of his alias and superpower had faded when he'd been injected with a dose of Agent N. In less than a minute, his power—which was the eerie ability to morph children into brainwashed puppets—had been stripped away. The Puppeteer was no more.

Winston was _smiling_. And not a cruel, preparing-to-manipulate-a-six-year-old smile, but something genuine and unexpectedly warm. It rendered him almost unrecognizable.

As the others took their seats, Captain Chromium approached the microphone. He spent a moment welcoming the crowd and the media who had gathered for their important announcement, conveying how the purpose of the Renegades was and had always been to ensure the safety of their citizens, while working to improve the quality of life for both prodigies and non-prodigies around the world. He talked about his enthusiasm for the new asset they were about to reveal and the pride he felt having been a part of its development. How he foresaw the potential of this tool to be, literally, world-changing.

As the audience clapped politely, the Captain stepped back and welcomed Dr. Hogan to the microphone.

Her speech was almost exactly the same as when she had first introduced the concept of Agent N to the Renegade patrol units. _Agent N offers a nonviolent solution with instantaneous results ... It is completely safe to be used around non-prodigy civilians ... This will provide a humanitarian consequence for prodigies who defy regulations ..._

Nova saw the media gathered in their box. Their surprise and interest. Their pens scribbling across small notepads. Their cameras zoomed in on the doctor's face. She wondered what the news would soon be reporting. She knew the Council hoped this would replace the rumors that the Renegades had become incompetent and ineffective. Agent N was their big chance to show the world what they had been putting their efforts into all these years. This was their chance to demonstrate how they intended to deal with wayward prodigies going forward. This was their chance to show that villainy would not be tolerated. Not so long as they were in charge.

"Shortly, we will have a demonstration of what Agent N can do," the doctor said, "so that you can see its effectiveness with your own eyes, and witness both how swift and how merciful a weapon it is. But first, we wish to invite one of our greatest success stories to offer his own opinion on the serum and its life-changing effects. Please join me in bringing to the microphone none other than a former villain and associate of Ace Anarchy himself. You will know him by the name of the Puppeteer, but today he is known only as Mr. Winston Pratt."

There was applause, though it was stilted and unsure. Murmurs flooded the crowd as Winston stood and took his place before the microphone. It all felt so surreal. The day he'd been neutralized, he had used a young Renegade to try to attack Dr. Hogan. He had been led from the stage in shackles.

What had changed to now make him appear so relaxed, so ... _jovial?_

"My gratitude, Dr. Hogan," Winston said, bending toward the microphone that had been lowered for the doctor and left far too short for his willowy build. "I _am_ grateful. Not only for the ways in which the direction of my life has changed—thanks to Agent N and the team of doctors and therapists who have been working with me—I am also grateful for this chance to tell my story."

He smiled again, but it was more bashful now. Nova could tell he was nervous. He spent a moment awkwardly adjusting the microphone, then cleared his throat and took a set of index cards from his pocket. "I have known many ... villains ... over the years. I was an Anarchist for more than half my life, starting at only fourteen years old. I joined Ace Anarchy's cause after running away from home." Pausing, he tapped the edges of the cards on the podium. Inhaled deeply, and continued, "Often, when a new member joined us, we would talk about our 'origin stories.' It's a popular topic among us prodigies—both heroes and villains, I think. I gave little thought to it at the time, but ... it's become clear to me that our stories all had something in common. With the exception of those of us who were born with our abilities, the rest of us became prodigies after ... well, some great trauma. Though we spoke of our origins with pride, in reality, these times were often ... horrific. And painful. Perhaps the fact that we survived them made our pride greater, but I ... I never thought to ask my companions, or ... even myself ... whether we would have been better off to have never undergone such trauma in the first place. As for me," Winston continued, his tone growing weary, "I never shared my real story. Not with the Anarchists, not with anyone, for all those years. The story of how I became the Puppeteer brought me no pride. Only shame and anger." Gone was the easy smile of minutes before. He hesitated, and looked out at someone in the audience. Following his gaze, Adrian recognized the counselor who had been working with Winston after his neutralization. She gave an encouraging nod.

Stooping down, Winston opened a bag at his feet. The journalists near the front tensed, perhaps expecting him to pull out a bomb or gun.

But it was only a doll. Adrian recognized Hettie, Winston's childhood doll that he had once traded to the ex-villain for information regarding Nightmare.

"This is Hettie," said Winston, holding the doll up for everyone to see. "My father made Hettie for me for my seventh birthday. A part of me thought I might be too old for dolls, but ... there was something about this one. I loved it immediately." He paused, a shadow eclipsing his expression. "A few months later, my parents were out one night, and I was being watched by a neighbor. A ... longtime family friend who often babysat me. He took an interest in Hettie ... suggested we play a game..." Winston paused and Adrian could feel his own chest tightening in the horrible silence that followed. Finally, Winston gave his head a shake and set the doll on the podium, as if unable to look at it. The doll's shiny black eyes peered emptily into the crowd. "I didn't understand it then, but the game became a foil for him to ... to ... molest me. For the first time. It ... would not be the last."

There were gasps in the crowd. Hands pressed over speechless mouths. Looks of pity and horror.

"I had never felt so powerless. So ashamed, and confused." Winston was scrutinizing the doll as he told his tale. "I would not know that I had become a prodigy until weeks later when, at school, my anger boiled over, and I lashed out at a kid who was a grade older than I was, who had taken the last slice of pizza in the cafeteria. Before I understood what I was doing, I had my strings around him. I made him..." He paused, clearing his throat. "I made him bash his own face into the tray. It broke his nose."

A long silence followed this statement.

"My powers began to change after that," Winston continued. "They changed me inside and out. Since that day, I have hurt more children than I could count. Not in the way that I was hurt, but as victims, powerless under my control. I don't tell you this story because I want your pity. I also don't mean to justify the things I've done, or to make excuses for the role I played as an Anarchist and ... a villain." He uncurled his spine, no longer bending over the microphone. "I tell you this because many prodigies will insist that their powers are a gift. I believed this, too. My powers were my identity. They were the source of my strength, my control. I didn't know until recently, until after my powers were neutralized by Agent N, that they were none of these things. They were a burden. A curse. They kept me in the head of a victim for all those years, and they turned me into a monster, too. I know that I will never be free of the trauma I experienced or the memories of all the awful things I've done. But thanks to Agent N, I feel ... for the first time, I feel like there might be a path forward. For the first time, I feel like I'm beginning to heal. To speak on my own behalf and maybe, someday, on the behalf of kids who were like me. I am so sorry for the hurt I've caused. I may never be able to make amends to the many children I used as puppets, but I do hope to make amends in as many ways as I can. I can't say that other prodigies who are neutralized will feel the same way, but as for me, I am not sorry to be free of my powers." He took Hettie and set the doll down on the floorboards of the stage, then held out a hand toward Captain Chromium.

The Captain stood and lifted the tall chromium pike that had been leaning up against his chair. The Silver Spear. He handed it to Winston.

Winston stood back, gripping the pike in both hands. "I am no longer a victim!" he yelled. With that, he swung the pike down. The flat end crashed into the doll. It shattered from the impact—its head caved in, one arm flew off the stage, a leg skidded off beneath Tsunami's chair. Winston hit it again—two times, three.

He finally stopped after the sixth time, rendering the doll little more than broken pieces and battered clothing. Panting from the exertion, Winston handed the spear back to the Captain, then he craned his head one more time to the microphone. "But even more important than that," he said, his voice full of emotion, "I am no longer a villain."

Nova was oddly touched by that story, so many people did get their powers from traumatic experiences, Oscar got his from almost dying in a fire, Ruby got hers by getting stabbed... twice. She got her powers when her parents died, every time she shut her eyes... bang, bang, bang, her mom, her dad, her sister, dead, dead, dead. She opened her eyes. She heard Captain Chromium, "Before we proceed, I would extend a dignity that this villain never offered to any of his victims. Please, escort Ace Anarchy to the stage."

At the end of the line, Ace's shackles were unlocked from his neighbor's. The guards prodded him, urging him toward the steps and onto the platform. He fixed his attention on the Captain, who waited for him at the podium. The loathing between the two men was palpable.

Once Ace stood before the Council, Captain Chromium spoke again into the microphone. "At this time, I ask my longtime rival, this enemy of humanity, Alec James Artino, if you would like to express any final words."

Ace's voice, when he spoke, was brittle and dry from disuse. "As I stand before you...," he said, his words barely a croak. Nova flinched to think of him as he once was, powerful and strong, a true visionary. Now he was little more than a relic, a memory from a foregone era. "Knowing that my time left on this earth is short, I am faced with an excruciating truth. I once destroyed a world order in which prodigies were condemned and persecuted by those who feared us, those who could not appreciate our potential. And now..." He faced the Captain. "Now we are condemned and persecuted by our own." He lifted his chin. "Alec James Artino is already dead, but Anarchy will live on. It will persist in the hearts of all prodigies who refuse to bow before this dictatorship. Our fight is not over, and we will not rest until there is freedom and autonomy for all our brethren. Until we no longer need to fear for our well-being, not from those who fear us, not from those who hate us, and not from those who envy us. The Renegades will fall, and we will rise again!"

Down below, Ace was being led back onto the field, while a parade of men and women in lab coats marched out to join the prisoners, each one holding a syringe.

The spectacle of it was too surreal. It felt more like a choreographed stage production, like it had all been planned with more consideration for the pictures that would later appear on the fronts of newspapers than for the dignity of those involved.

Nothing happened.

Then...

Then...

They injected the prisoners.

They were officially normal, regular, non-powered people.

It was the execution next.

She was going to be killed first because Ace Anarchy would be the showstopper, _and after all,_ she bitterly thought, _save the best for last._ She was unshackled and brought to the center of the stage.

Genissa was brought up. So was her cooler.

Genissa opened the cooler. She pulled out an icicle.

Nova closed her eyes.

_I guess this is because she thinks I took her powers. At least it might be swift this way. She'll see her family soon. Good-bye Uncle, I'm sorry this happened. Good-bye Adrien, I still love you. Good-bye Ruby, Oscar, even Danna, you guys were my best friends, even if you accused and arrested me. Good-bye world, you were an absolute bitch in the end, and middle, but there were quite a few good parts. Hopefully the Renegades will catch the real Nightmare, hopefully Uncle won't be totally alone, hopefully-_

Her death was clean and swift. Just like that. She was dead. And no one cared. Of course they cared that a 'villain' was 'defeated' but they didn't care; they just executed a friend, a co-worker, a niece, an innocent person.

**ADRIEN:**

Just like that... Nova, no Nightmare, was dead. In her last seconds she closed her eyes, at least that's what it looked like. If anything she said was true she most likely would have heard her family's death, but then again she's a liar and traitor so it was probably a lie. Right?

The sad part was... Adrien still had feelings for her, he was kind of sad that she died. He tried to convince himself it was a lie but was it? And was execution slightly too far? It was horrible to watch. Her kneeling on the platform with shackles, Genissa looking so damn happy and pulling the icicle out of the cooler, Genissa taking aim, the icicle hitting its mark, Nova dead, dead, dead. Like his mom.

 _This was the right decision,_ he told himself, _Nova is Nightmare and Nightmare is a menace, she tried killing Hugh for God's sake. She needed to die_. A tiny voice that he tried to bury disagreed, _**was** this the right choice?_

Then Adrien spotted a flicker of movement from the otherwise motionless stands. He thought they looked like birds. Adrian stared, his brow pinched with suspicion, as the bird made a full circle over the stands before dipping down and hovering in front of Captain Chromium. He snatched it from the air, crumpling its wings in one fist. His visage was already dark as he unfolded the square of paper. There must have been something written on the inside, because his scowl deepened before he crushed it again and threw it onto the stage. He was about to speak when a voice boomed throughout the arena.

"Ladies and gentlemen, prodigies and prisoners, superheroes and scientists..."

The voice did not seem to be coming from the overhead speakers. If anything, it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.

"We do apologize for the delay in today's Renegade-sponsored programming," the voice continued, with an edge of sarcasm. "While your honorable Council members sort through these technical difficulties, we hope you'll enjoy this free entertainment, compliments of ... _the Crane_."

Adrian frowned at his team, who were all sharing the same baffled look.

"The Crane?" said Ruby. "Wasn't he at the trials?"

"The origami guy?" said Oscar.

Adrian saw them then. _Everyone_ saw them—hundreds, perhaps thousands, of paper cranes in the most beautiful array of pastel and jewel tones soaring into the arena. Adrian leaped to his feet. He wasn't alone, as the stands all around him erupted with concern.

But only a _little_ concern, Adrian noted. They were just paper cranes.

"They're coming in through the air vents," said Danna. She was gripping the railing, her knuckles white.

"Could it be a diversion?" asked Ruby.

Adrian didn't respond. He had no answers, but he had a feeling that Nightmare and the Anarchists had something to do with this.

He loosened his collar, making easier access to the zipper tattoo.

The cranes spread throughout the audience, hovering inches over their heads. One was caught by Fiona Lindala, or Peregrine, who was standing in the next row with her beloved bird of prey perched on her shoulder. Adrian watched as she unfolded the paper, the falcon's head bobbing curiously. All around him, Renegades were doing the same. Snatching the paper birds from the air. Unfolding them to uncover their secrets.

Fiona cried out in surprise, drawing Adrian's attention back to her. Her eyes were wide, though perhaps in more surprise than pain. She dropped the crane, but it left behind another creature.

A chubby, fuzzy, black-and-yellow bumblebee sitting on her palm.

Adrian had barely registered the sight before the peregrine shot forward and caught the bee in its beak.

"It stung me," Fiona said to no one in particular, picking the stinger out of her palm.

Then there were more. More bees, almost adorable in their plumpness, leaving the protection of the paper cranes and buzzing toward the nearest Renegades.

"Queen Bee," said Adrian, swatting one away. All around, he could hear disgruntled gasps, though the sounds were more of annoyance or surprise than anything else. It wasn't fun to be stung by a bumblebee, but compared to daily life as a Renegade, it wasn't exactly petrifying, either.

Danna's face was contorted in disbelief. "Why bumblebees? Why not hornets or wasps or...?"

Adrian yelped in surprise and clapped a hand to the back of his neck. His fingers came away cradling the furry body of a bumblebee. He tossed it to the ground and reached back, rubbing where it had stung him.

Around them, people were crushing the bees in fists and under boots, tearing the beautiful paper cranes into shreds. Baffled. Confused.

Until a sickening wail began to rise up around them.

It started with Peregrine, who was gaping, horrified, into her companion's intelligent eyes. "No," she cried, stretching one finger to stroke the bird's wing. But the bird ducked away. It walked down the length of her outstretched arm, staring at her like it wasn't sure whether or not she was edible. "Pern, please, it's me."

The peregrine shifted its head away, its talons digging into her forearm. Then it spread its massive wings and leaped into the air, soaring over the stands. Fiona cried out, reaching, but she had no hope of catching it. Her eyes filled with tears. "I can't sense him anymore," she stammered. "He doesn't understand ... what's happening?" She looked around, searching nearby faces for answers. "My power. It's gone."

Realization struck Adrian like a gunshot. He scanned the audience, as all around, expressions morphed into panic. Renegades inspecting their outstretched hands as they felt their powers drain away. As scales sloughed off of baby-soft human skin, as sixth-sense antennas retracted beneath human hair. A girl made of smoldering black embers watched as her skin mutated into plain human flesh. A boy with horns on his back cried out as the horns snapped off and were left like discarded nail clippings on the ground. Sparks extinguished. Energy evaporated. Shadows dispersed.

The voice returned, echoing and amused. "If you're one of the unlucky Renegades who have just received a tiny sting, we urge you to remain calm. You're bound to experience some slight discomfort, maybe a bit of queasiness, but in just a few moments you'll be back to normal. Completely, utterly normal."

"Agent N," said Adrian. "The stingers have Agent N on them."

Oscar cursed and squished a bumblebee beneath the butt of his cane, even though Adrian was pretty sure it was already dead.

Adrien said, "the Anarchists must have stolen some or copied the serum somehow."

"Adrian," said Danna. "Your powers?"

He shook his head. "My tattoo should protect me. But something tells me this isn't the worst of it. Come on, I need to find a place to transform."

"We're coming with you," she said.

He slipped from the row, preparing to dash up the stairs to the back of the arena, but he was stopped by a voice, meek and trembling.

"Guys?"

He turned back. Danna and Oscar paused, too, all of them staring at Ruby.

Her face was pale, her eyes watering and round. In her right palm, she held a dead bumblebee.

In her left was the red stone that always hung from the wire at her wrist.

Adrian's heart sank. "Ruby ... no..."

They all watched as the stone began to melt, dissolving into a sticky, bloody mess over her fingers, dripping down to the concrete floor below.

Ruby swallowed and tried to put on a brave face, despite her shock. "My brothers," she whispered, "are going to be so disappointed."

Adrian cursed when he saw a fresh swarm of bees flooding the arena. Captain Chromium's voice boomed through the speakers, urging Renegades to protect the members of the media whose panicked cries were mixing with the loud buzz of the incoming insects, while trying to organize others into some sort of counterattack. No enemies had yet shown their face, though—only the bees, and they were so small and quick, most Renegade superpowers were useless against them.

"I know this goes without saying," said Adrian, "but Oscar, Danna ... try not to get stung."

"Real sensitive, Sketch," Ruby said. Her face was still stricken, but Adrian could tell she was trying not to show how devastated she was at the loss of her powers.

"I have a better idea than just not getting stung," Oscar growled. His expression had a rarely uncovered ferocity as he lifted both hands and began to flood the stands and the arena with sweet-smelling smoke.

"What are you doing?" said Adrian. The smoke quickly changed from a fine mist to a thick fog. It wasn't long before Adrian could barely see his own hands, much less his companions beside him—or the bees that he could hear buzzing nearby. "Smokescreen, is this supposed to be helpful?"

"They're bees," came Oscar's voice. "Smoke tranquilizes them."

Adrian tried to blink back the smoke as it stung his eyes, but soon his annoyance dimmed. True enough, the buzzing noise grew quieter as the smoke filled the arena.

"Okay, good thinking," he admitted, even as he heard a number of their colleagues starting to cough.

The smoke offered one other benefit. Now concealed, Adrian reached for the zipper tattooed over his sternum. With a hiss and a series of clanks, the Sentinel's armored suit unfolded from the nonexistent pocket beneath his skin, extending over his arms, down his chest and back, enclosing his arms and legs, and finally pulling up over his head. The visor came last, dropping down over his face.

"Oh dear, that's not very _bee_ -friendly, my smoky friend," came the thunderous voice again. "I suppose that means we'll have to resort to plan _B_..." He cackled.

What followed was pure pandemonium. With everyone disoriented by the smoke, it was impossible to tell what was happening throughout the arena, but Adrian could sense from the yelling and grunting that it wasn't good. He saw flashes of light from the field below, and caught a glimpse of Thunderbird's wings churning through the smog. He felt the boom of an explosion under his feet. Danna dissolved into butterflies and swept toward the field. Slowly, the fog thinned. Bees were crawling across the backs of chairs and along the rails, but they seemed disinclined to attack anymore. Something soared past Adrian's helmet—an arrow? A spear? To his left, he heard the ricocheting clang of metal. To his right what sounded like the roar of a feral beast.

One thing was clear: They were under attack; and it wasn't just bees anymore.

Adrian waited until the mist had cleared enough that he could see vague shapes on the arena floor so he wouldn't crush anyone beneath his weight. As he prepared to launch himself toward the stage, movement above made him pause.

He squinted at the shadow making its way across the scaffolding near the high, arched ceiling. He waited until he was absolutely certain of what he was seeing.

His gauntlets clenched into fists.

_Nightmare._

That- that means- Nova _wasn't_ Nightmare. And they just killed her. While he watched. She must have hated him, she really wasn't Nightmare but he didn't believe her, no one did, and because of that she lost her life. Because of some _coincidences._ And soon they will have to deal with the fact that they killed Nova, an innocent Renegade who was _not_ Nightmare. But now, now he's going to kill the _real_ Nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little excerpt from the book Supernova, '"Hey, Ruby ... I really like you! Like, so much that even thinking of doing this makes me want to spew my breakfast tacos all over these seats." "Inspired," Danna muttered as the Renegades in the next row cast Oscar concerned looks.' ...Oscar being a romantic. Also I'm trying to post every Sunday but I have some other fics I'm working on. Honestly though I think this is one of my better fanfics, so please leave kudos and comments, thanks!

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so I just discovered how to make words bold and such and I really hope this works if it doesn't I'm going to be very sad and upset. Also next update will most likely be February 21.


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